Producing the Sentra in the U.S. Is Not Feasible: Espinosa

Nissan Motor has explored the possibility of moving production of its Sentra sedan and Kicks crossover from Mexico to the United States to avoid paying tariffs, but because these are entry-level models for the brand, the “numbers just don’t add up.”

This was stated by the company’s global CEO, Iván Espinosa, during an interview with AutoNews, in which he explained that “these two products are manufactured in Mexico due to the affordability requirements of the segment.”

“For the time being, it is not feasible to move them to the United States,” the Mexican executive stated, before emphasizing that the automaker needs to “continue working on cost competitiveness.”

Both the Kicks and the Sentra are crucial for Nissan, as they accounted for nearly 30% of the brand’s sales in the United States last year and form the foundation of its presence in the competitive sub-$30,000 segment.

Espinosa explained that both models are produced in Mexico specifically to meet the price points demanded by those buyers, and moving final assembly to the United States would raise retail prices above what the market is willing to pay.